Word Stress

Here are some  rules that can help you understand where to put the stress. But do not rely on them too much, because there are many exceptions. It is better to try to "feel" the music of the language and to add the stress naturally.
1 Stress on first syllable
Most 2-syllable nouns    PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble
Most 2-syllable adjectives    PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy
2 Stress on last syllable
Most 2-syllable verbs    to preSENT, to exPORT, to deCIDE, to beGIN
 
REMARK
There are many two-syllable words in English whose meaning and class change with a change in stress. The word present, for example is a two-syllable word. If we stress the first syllable, it is a noun (gift) or an adjective (opposite of absent). But if we stress the second syllable, it becomes a verb (to offer). More examples: the words export, import, contract and object can all be nouns or verbs depending on whether the stress is on the first or second syllable.

3 Stress on penultimate syllable (penultimate = second from end)
Words ending in -ic    GRAPHic, geoGRAPHic, geoLOGic
Words ending in -sion and -tion    teleVIsion, reveLAtion
 
REMARK
For a few words, native English speakers don't always "agree" on where to put the stress. For example, some people say teleVIsion and others say TELevision. Another example is: CONtroversy and conTROversy.

4 Stress on ante-penultimate syllable (ante-penultimate = third from end)
Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy and -gy    deMOcracy, dependaBIlity, phoTOgraphy, geOLogy
Words ending in -al    CRItical, geoLOGical

5 Compound words (words with two parts)
For compound nouns, the stress is on the first part    BLACKbird, GREENhouse
For compound adjectives, the stress is on the second part    bad-TEMpered, old-FASHioned
For compound verbs, the stress is on the second part    to underSTAND, to overFLOW

1-Stress the syllable before; -tion, -ssion:
 Organization                             institution                                possession
 Nationalization                        revolution                                information
 Civilization                                revolutionary                          intervention
 International                            contribution                            supposition
Nationalism                               introduction                            (short”u”)
Rational                                      production                              (as in”duck”)
2- Stress the syllable before -ic, -icism:
 Critic                                         policy                                         technological
 Criticism                                    political                                      economical
 Criticize                                    (but: politics)                             optimistic
 Specific                                      democratic                                pessimistic
 Realistic                                     economic                                   scientific
Biological                                   (but: economy)                         characteristic
Psychological                             technical                                   significant
3-Stress the syllable before: -ity, -ety:
Reality                                        capacity                                     inferiority
Ability                                         continuity                                 superiority
Anxiety                                       possibility                                 ambiguity
Variety                                        technicality                              quality
Society                                        necessity                                  equality
4-Stress the syllable before: -ient, -cient, -ience:
Convenient                                  efficient                                  inefficiency
 Inconvenient                               inefficient                                insufficiency
 Sufficient                                      experience
 Insufficient                                   inexperience
5-Stress the syllable before: -ious:
Conscious                                     obvious                                    propitious
Unconscious                                 serious                                     judicious
Rebellious                                     conscientious

6-Stress the syllable before: -ia, -ial, -ialism:
Specialized                                    essential                                   imperialism
Politician                                        potential                                  industrialism
Official                                            impartial                                  existentialism
Russian                                           dictatorial                                materialism
Especially                                       superficial                                 socialism
7-Stress the syllable before: -ual, -uate:
Habitual                                          usual                                        gradual             
Individual                                        eventual                                  graduate                          
Intellectual                                      eventually                             perpetuate
8-Stress the syllable before: -ible:
Incredible                                        impossible                              responsible
Sensible                                           horrible                                   perceptible                      
Incompatible                                  terrible
9-Stress the first syllable in the following words:
Rationalize                                       personalize                             jeopardize (pr. Jep)
Generalize                                        organize                                  analize Characterize                                     nationalize                              capitalize                               
Specialize                                          realize                                      capitalism
Scandalize                                         liberalize                                  (but: materialize, ism)
10-And now for these  words :
Idea                                             finally                                        
Development                             Europe                                     commentary                              Great Britain    develop                                  European                               England